WI: Ford introduces the Transit to North America in the late 60s?

[ric350]

After it’s initial success in Britain/Europe, what if Ford decided to sell the Transit van in the US and Canada, say 1969? Would it have caught on, especially with the Ford dealerships behind it? I could also see the “hippie” movement embracing it too, as it did the VW van, and as in Britain, it could have been an alternative for small business owners.

Although unseen at the time, it would have been a fuel efficient alternative to V8 powered vans when the fuel crisis hit.

Lastly, could some smart Ford executive (named Lee something or other), see it’s conversion to a family “people mover” and invent a whole new market for Ford? Maybe also developing a domestic transverse 4 or 6 cylinder to replace the V4?

ric350

 

[deLanglade]

I think you could argue the Econoline series fills that niche already. Ford sold over a half million of the Gen 1 Econoline platform in the 1960's, including dedicated people movers. The Transit is essentially the same size as a G1 Econoline, and despite radically different engine philosophies, the final performance isn't too far different.
With the small I-6 and manual transmission, an E-100 could routinely deliver 22mpg or better. Of course, with the big V-8 the mileage was awful, and that's all anyone remembers.
The Gen 2 Econoline of the 1970's was bigger, but not by much (126wb for the long E100, 118wb for a long transit).
I think that any attempt to sell an import in the USA at this time would have been a disaster for Ford. The American automotive ecosystem had grown around big, dumb engines that could survive on nonexistent maintenance for 80000 miles - at which point the rest of the car was rusted into oblivion. High-revving maintenance hogs (i.e., needs to be maintained at all) were very niche. VW was about the only exception, and the reasons for this are multi-layered.

 

[marathag]

Too small.
But the 1st Gen Van's were not that large at first.
Of the early Van's, one of the coolest was the Dodge A108 25 window Van, on a 108" wheelbase

Most did not have the skylight, and the 14 Window Van was the norm, the 90 inch wheelbase A100
GM's Corvair based van,

Was in between at 95" wheelbase.
I don't think there was much of a market for Van's with less power than that, VW notwithstanding. Hippies had already drank the VW Kool-Aid

 

[The History Man]

I think that any attempt to sell an import in the USA at this time would have been a disaster for Ford. The American automotive ecosystem had grown around big, dumb engines that could survive on nonexistent maintenance for 80000 miles - at which point the rest of the car was rusted into oblivion. High-revving maintenance hogs (i.e., needs to be maintained at all) were very niche. VW was about the only exception, and the reasons for this are multi-layered.

I agree. The Transit with a four cylinder engine would have been a sales failure. It would have needed a six-pot as the starter and V8 options to get US buyers interested.